“During the month of April, the Arab America Foundation formally recognizes the achievements of Arab Americans through the celebration of National Arab American Heritage Month (NAAHM). Across the country, cultural institutions, school districts, municipalities, state legislatures, public servants, and non-profit organizations issue proclamations and engage in special events that celebrate our community’s rich heritage and numerous contributions to society” (Arab America Foundation).

CA Library recognizes the rich cultural heritage of Arab Americans by highlighting books, eBooks and audiobooks by Arab American authors and featuring Arab American characters…

Call Me American: The Extraordinary True Story of a Young Somali Immigrant by Abdi Nor Iftin — Adapted from the adult memoir, an intimate portrait of modern immigration describes how the author’s family was forced by war to leave their home in Somalia before he received an opportunity to win the annual U.S. visa lottery. Get the eBook | Get the Audiobook

“This remarkable, nuanced story facilitates a deeper understanding of immigration today” (Kirkus Reviews). 

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City of Refugees: The Story of Three Newcomers Who Breathed Life into a Dying American Town by Susan Hartman — The story of three newcomers – a rebellious Somali Bantu girl, a Bosnian woman who runs a home bakery, and an Iraqi interpreter haunted by war – as they adapt to life in an old manufacturing city: Utica, NY. Get the eBook | Get the Audiobook

“Hartman draws an intimate and captivating portrait of the struggle to build new lives while holding on to old values” (Publishers Weekly). 

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From Here: A Memoir by Luma Mufleh — In her coming-of-age memoir, refugee advocate Luma Mufleh writes of her tumultuous journey to reconcile her identity as a gay Muslim woman and a proud Arab-turned-American refugee. Get the eBook | Get the Audiobook

“A poignant glimpse into human imperfections and the struggle to find one’s place in the world” (Kirkus Reviews). 

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Here To Stay by Sara Farizan — When a cyberbully sends the entire high school a picture of basketball hero Bijan Majidi, photo-shopped to look like a terrorist, the school administration promises to find and punish the culprit, but Bijan just wants to pretend the incident never happened and move on. Get the eBook | Get the Audiobook

“A diverse cast of well-developed supporting characters, including several who Bijan thinks might be the cyberbully, add a suspenseful mystery to this top-notch high school drama” (Publishers Weekly). 

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I Was Their American Dream: A Graphic Memoir by Malaka Gharib — The daughter of parents with unfulfilled dreams themselves, Malaka navigated her childhood chasing her parents’ ideals, learning to code-switch between her family’s Filipino and Egyptian customs, while adapting to white culture to fit in.

“This engaging memoir is an uplifting ode to Gharib’s bicultural background, her immigrant parents, and her road to self-acceptance” (School Library Journal).

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Man o’ War by Cory McCarthy — On a field trip to SeaPlanet, seventeen-year-old Arab-American high school swimmer River McIntyre has a chance encounter with Indy, a happy, healthy queer person, which sets off a wrenching journey of self-discovery. Get the eBook | Get the Audiobook

“A thoughtful, nuanced exploration of what it’s like to feel trapped-and how to make it out” (Publishers Weekly). 

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Not the Girls You’re Looking For by Aminah Mae Safi — Lulu Saad, a Muslim-American teen, goes into denial mode about her role in an out-of-control party that occurred during Ramadan, a situation that escalates until she incurs damage that is harder to repair, forcing her to come to terms with her true self.

“Delightful and funny but still giving voice to serious issues of sexual consent and xenophobia” (Kirkus Reviews).

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Out Of Nowhere by Maria Padian — Performing community service for pulling a stupid prank against a rival high school, soccer star Tom tutors a Somali refugee with soccer dreams of his own. Get the eBook

“A sensitive, sympathetic, and insightful portrayal of the plight of new immigrants attempting to acculturate while being forced to deal with casual bigotry” (Booklist). 

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Outcasts United: The Story of a Refugee Soccer Team That Changed a Town by Warren St. John — American-educated Jordanian Luma Mufleh founds a youth soccer team comprised of children from Liberia, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Balkan states, and elsewhere in the refugee settlement town of Clarkston, Georgia, bringing the children together to discover their common bonds as they adjust to life in a new homeland.

“Respecting cultural differences, building a global community, and the importance of getting involved are powerful, motivating messages that will resonate with all readers, not just soccer fans” (School Library Journal).

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Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood by Ibtisam Barakat — Palestinian-American author Ibtisam Barakat describes her childhood as a Palestinian refugee, discussing her family’s experiences during and after the Six-Day War, and the freedom she felt at learning to read and write.

“A compassionate, insightful family and cultural portrait” (Kirkus Reviews).

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Balcony on the Moon: Coming of Age In Palestine by Ibtisam Barakat — Picking up where Tasting the Sky left off, Balcony on the Moon follows Ibtisam Barakat through her childhood and adolescence in Palestine from 1972-1981 and chronicles her desire to be a writer.

“A pervasive sense of loss informs much of Barakat’s childhood, with a growing realization that no promising future exists for her or her siblings in Palestine. A poetic, deeply felt coming-of-age story” (Kirkus Reviews).

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We Hunt The Flame by Hafsah Faizal — Disguising herself as a man to hunt food for her people in the cursed and forbidden forest, a Hunter in a fantasy realm inspired by ancient Arabia is targeted by the Prince of Death, who would kill her for her disobedience to an autocratic king and claim the powerful artifact she seeks. Get the Audiobook

“Layering high-stakes action with moods ranging from casual humor to raw anguish, Faizal bends fantasy tropes to her will to tell a fresh and gripping story about love, honor, and self-discovery” (Booklist). 

For even more great titles by Arab American authors, stop by CA Library and check out the ReadBox book display! Plus, you can browse this collection of eBooks and audiobooks in your Sora account.

We continue our series of posts featuring some of the best books in the CA Library collection — today’s featured titles are all thrillers. Follow the links for each book to learn more from the CA Library catalog!

If an eBook and/or audiobook is available, links are also provided (Sora login is required).

Artifice by Sharon Cameron — To help her best friend Truus, who is smuggling Jewish babies out of Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, master forger Isa de Smit sells fake paintings to the Nazis, but soon discovers fake can be difficult to spot both in art and in people. Get the eBook | Get the Audiobook

“A genuinely immersive, teen-centric answer to the historical thrillers that fill adult shelves and will satisfy plenty of readers. Gripping” (Kirkus Reviews). 

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Bianca Torre Is Afraid of Everything by Justine Pucella Winans — Grappling with an ever-growing list of fears, nonbinary teen Bianca Torre, an avid birder, finds herself investigating the murder of her neighbor with the help of their best friend, their crush, and a fellow birding aficionado. Get the eBook | Get the Audiobook

“A suspenseful and satisfying thriller with plenty of heart and humor” (School Library Journal Xpress).

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The Forest Demands Its Due by Kosoko Jackson — When the murder of his classmate at an elite boarding school seems to be forgotten overnight, seventeen-year-old Douglas must confront centuries of secrets in the school’s past and a vengeful creature in the forest surrounding the campus.

“The pulse-pounding twists, riveting premise, and the enticing character dynamics formed amid intriguing magical troubles ensure that readers will want to follow along to the end” (Publishers Weekly).

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A Guide To The Dark by Meriam Metoui — Stranded at the Wildwood Motel while on their spring break road trip, Mira and Layla discover eight people died in their room and set out to find the connection between the deaths and the unexplainable things that keep happening inside Room 9. Get the Audiobook

“A delightfully haunting and insightful debut for horror and thriller fans” (Booklist).

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I Will Find You Again by Sarah Lyu — When her best friend — and true love — disappears, overachieving Chase Ohara finds her life turning into a series of grim snapshots leading to a shocking truth that will change everything about the way she sees Lia — and herself. Get the eBook | Get the Audiobook

“Well-paced nonlinear chapters feature flashbacks to Chase and Lia’s tender courtship and its eventual unraveling, offering ardent depictions of mental illness, grief, and the frequent crushing pressure to succeed” (Publishers Weekly).

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Into The Light by Mark Oshiro — Two outcasts, Eli and Manny, find their lives intersecting in unimaginable ways when the reported discovery of an unidentified body draws them into facing their biggest fears and confronting their own identity — and who they are allowed to be. Get the eBook | Get the Audiobook

“A thoughtful, beautiful, riveting thriller that fans of dynamic character building, gritty mystery, and searing social commentary will devour in a heartbeat” (Booklist).

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The Library of Shadows by Rachel Moore — Enrolling in the third most haunted school in the country in the hope of finding her dead father, Este Logano instead finds Mateo, an annoying real ghost, and soon discovers that following her father’s footsteps might be more dangerous than she ever anticipated.

“Recommended for lovers of gothic tales, this unique novel blends different genres in a magical way, and readers will happily lose themselves in its twisting passages” (Booklist).

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Make Me A Liar by Melissa Landers — When someone uses Tia Dante’s body to commit murder on live TV, she unearths multiple scandals, massive corruption and more than a few stray bullets as she races against time to find the real killer. Get the Audiobook

“Thriller elements involving international mobs and secret supernatural organizations, as well as weighty themes surrounding criminal injustice, propel this jam-packed roller coaster to a climactic finish” (Publishers Weekly).

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A Place For Vanishing by Ann Fraistat — Looking for a fresh start, sixteen-year-old Libby and her family return to her mother’s childhood home only to discover that the house’s strange beauty may disguise a sinister past. Get the eBook | Get the Audiobook

“A compelling, darkly creative, and intensely haunting examination of the masks we wear” (Kirkus Reviews).

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Stateless by Elizabeth Wein — Stella North is one of twelve young pilots competing in a 1937 air race meant to promote peace in Europe, but when one of her competitors is sabotaged, Stella races to determine who is capable of murder, and who might be the next victim. Get the eBook | Get the Audiobook

“Dramatic chase scenes in the skies above the Alps and on the streets of Nazi-controlled Hamburg, Germany, climax in a terrifying airborne confrontation over Paris” (Booklist).

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Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington — Blacklisted from her top choice Ivy League college, prestigious Edgewater Academy scholarship student Adina Walker participates in the Finish, a high-stakes competition whose prize of wealth and power can open any door, only to find that she’s playing for her life. Get the eBook | Get the Audiobook

“Anyone desperate for a Hunger Games–esque adventure will devour this debut” (Booklist).

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Wander in the Dark by Jumata Emill — When Black teenager Amir is accused of murdering Chloe Danvers, a rich White girl, he and his half-brother Marcel set out to prove his innocence and discover that in a city as old as New Orleans, the right family connections can bury even the ugliest truths. Get the Audiobook

“At once riveting and disturbing, this is an edgy, fast-paced thriller exploring important issues” (Kirkus Reviews).

Find even more great thrillers in these previous posts!

• Thrillers (April 2023)
• Thrillers (April 2022)
• Thrillers (May 2021)

Take a look at the CA Library collection in your Sora account — you’ll find thousands of eBooks and audiobooks across many different genres, including:

• Best Fiction For Teens
• New York Times Bestsellers
• Most Popular
• Suspenseful Thrillers
• Mysteries
• Fantasy
• Historical Fiction
• Humorous Stories
• Romance
• Science Fiction
• Sports
• Biography and Autobiography
• Nonfiction

…and more! Here are some of the latest eBooks and/or audiobooks available in Sora right now!

The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt — An essential investigation into the collapse of youth mental health — and a plan for a healthier, freer childhood. Get the eBook | Get the Audiobook

“An urgent and provocative read on why so many kids are not okay — and how to course correct. Haidt makes a powerful case that the shift from play-based to phone-based childhoods is wreaking havoc on mental health and social development” (Adam Grant, host of the TED podcast Re:Thinking).

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Breathing Underwater by Abbey Lee Nash — Seventeen-year-old competitive swimmer Tess Cooper grapples with the upheaval of her carefully planned future following an epilepsy diagnosis, and works to get back in the pool despite her doctor’s advice or her distracting feelings for the new guy.  Get the eBook

“Tess’s story is compelling. Her medical visits, uncertainty, and eventual epilepsy diagnosis offer a realistic look at this hidden condition that is both enigmatic and common” (School Library Journal).

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Cancelled by Farrah Penn — High school senior Brynn Whittaker faces a school-wide scandal when a viral video wrongly implicates her, prompting her and her friends to confront the school’s misogynistic culture, while Brynn grapples with the decision to expose the true culprit. Get the eBook | Get the Audiobook

“Girl power tackles sexism, stigma, and peer pressure in the age of social media” (Kirkus Reviews).

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H Is For Hope: Climate Change From A to Z by Elizabeth Kolbert — In twenty-six essays — one for each letter of the alphabet — the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sixth Extinction takes us on a hauntingly illustrated journey through the history of climate change and the uncertainties of our future. Get the eBook

“An intelligently provocative and well-presented look at the world’s most pressing issue” (Kirkus Reviews).

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How to Make Herself Agreeable to Everyone: A Memoir by Cameron Russell — In her fierce and innovative memoir, Russell, who was scouted by a modeling agency when she was 16, chronicles how she learned to navigate the dizzying space between physical appearance and interiority and making money in an often-exploitative system. Get the eBook | Get the Audiobook

“Readers will find much to discuss, as Russell’s adolescence — as a lived experience and a sexualized product to be sold — defines her career, worldview, and political organizing” (Booklist).

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How to Manage Your Eco-Anxiety: An Empowering Guide for Young People by Anouchka Grose — A timely book that explores the relationship between mental health and the climate crisis . . . and supplies tools to help! Drawing on years of experience as a psychoanalyst, Grose shares cutting-edge insights on how to manage your eco-anxiety. Get the Audiobook

“An empowering guide to living with the stress of the climate change crisis” (Kirkus Reviews).

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The Lightning Circle by Vikki VanSickle — After having her heart broken, seventeen-year-old Nora Nichols decides to escape her hometown and take a summer job as an arts and crafts counsellor at an all-girls’ camp in the mountains of West Virginia where she meets girls and women from all walks of life with their own heartaches and triumphs. Get the eBook | Get the Audiobook

“VanSickle paints a portrait of a classic mid-aughts summer camp in this slice-of-life verse novel” (Publishers Weekly).

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These Bodies Between Us by Sarah Van Name — In their familiar North Carolina beach town, Callie and her friends, Talia and Cleo, are joined by the enigmatic Polly, who introduces the idea of learning how to make themselves invisible, a plan that initially seems impossible but eventually works, leading to a recklessness that makes it increasingly difficult for the girls to return to their former selves. Get the eBook | Get the Audiobook

“Ominous, strategic foreshadowing creates anticipation, building eventually to a shocking, well-earned climax. A suspenseful story of friendship and magic” (Kirkus Reviews).